Registering and indorsing ballot box



BEST AVAILABLE Cop.

Feb. 22, 1927. 1,618,691

R. D. TOLMAN REGISTERING AND INDORSING BALLOT BOX Filed April 14. 1922 z sneets-sheat 1 BEST AVAILABLE CF"A Feb' 22 1927 `R. D. TOLMAN l REGISTERING AND. INDQRSING BLLOT BOX FileavApril 14, 1G22 2 sheets-shut 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES BEST AVA'LABILE CoP ,ROY D.l TOLMAN, XVORCES'IER, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGISTER-ING AND INnoasING BALLoT Box.

Application filed April 14, 1.922. Serial No. 552,762.

My invention relates to that class of mechanical ballot boxes which are used at elections under the Australian ballot system whe-re each legal ballot is received, indorsed and registered by mechanical means. The voter of to-day controls the destiny of our nation through his paper ballotand as he deposits his ballot in the ballot box, that ballot should be protected. lVhile numerous attempts have been made to protect the ballot as it leaves the Voters hand, none have succeeded so well as those that use an indorsing ballot box. With the aforegoing improvements there has.v been designed a ballot box which can be used successfully at all elections whetherv a large bulky'or a small ballot is used. The operating movements are positivev andf so simple that an electric motor could be used to operate the ballot box inplace of the usual election oiieial. A' paper ballot when once placed in the ballot chute cannot be withdrawn but is fed forward and is indorsed by the vendorsing rolls, thus. placing an official seal upon each ballot as it is cast. The ballot chute is closed' automatically by each ballot as it is beinglindorsed and it remains closed 'duringthe processl of indorsingvand -registering each ballot. When'the ballot drops intothe bottom of the ballot box, it has been legally cast and a stroke of a bell Aannounces that fac-t. The ballot chute automaticall opens i as 'the vballot drops into the bottom of the ballot box; f

Numerous improvements f have been v made to render the operating parts positive in action underall types of ballots :as wellas making it more durablefor use by all kinds of election oiiicials. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view .of-the mechanism embodied in 'my'v improvedfballot box.V i

Figure 2 lis aside elevation of the same shown in normal position.

Figure 3l is a side'l'elevation, the same as iu Figure 2 but'shown in' operative position with ya ballot passing throughl the indorsing mechanism. i

Figure 4 is a central sectional view on line 4 4 Figure 1 but with the mechanism in the position as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of the feed 'o ls.

Figure 6 is a detached view of Ythe indorsing mechanism showing a modified form of construction.

The mechanism as shown in the accompanying drawings represents the mechanical section of the Australian ballot box which apparatus usually sits in the top vof the ballot box ease and is enclosed th roughout with the exception of a hole for the operating crank and an opening for the ballot chute. The supporting framework 10 is secured to the center board 11 of the ballot box and it is through an opening 12 in the renter board 11 that the ballot .drops into the bottom of the case after having been in'- dorsed and registered. ,Secured within the sides ofthe framework 10 is an inclined feed board 13 upon which the ballot is deposited by the voter and pushed forward until the forward end ofthe ballot comes in contact with the. main feed roll 14 and upper feed roll15.., n f

` The main feed roll 14 isturned by the election official through av cra-nk on the out-- side of the ballot box, not shown, and it is upon this roll '14 `while -normally an inde.

pendent loose roll that all operating parts function whenever a ballotis passed through 'the machine.t The ymain feed roll 14 is mounted upon a shaft 16 held within the i framework 10 and the shaft 16 extends out- Vvward sufliciently to` enable a crank to be applied bythe, electionoicial. p

-The shaft is turned in the direction of the .arrowi17 an'dlbyso doing the ballot which had been vplaced'by the voter. in the ballot chute 18 is drawn forward by the two feed rolls 14 andgl. While the yaverage voter places his ballot straight-in the chute, many times it has been found that the ballots are lplaced obliquely tothe forward movement of the rolls and in these cases thewballot -follows a` crooked. patlr and finally. stops against the side of the frame.` `To straighten out the crooked .paths that some ballots pursue and to make them all pass through straight and smooth, I have accomplished that object by. making the feedroll in severals sections with the two central sections .19 slightly larger. in diameter than the two outerV sections on each side. By this construction, there are two feed rolls in runnin Contact, one roll of which has more frictlonal Contact in its central section than the outside. sections. A turntable ie rolls 14 and 15 are siniilarly grooved as .toffether form the indorsing roll et-ialf'seetionand as the iiidoSiriQ' lio'l'l's 24! is raied by" the passage o,f a ballot, comesjnto running Contact xifltli a"rol1 29?' The inlting roll 29 tales no: bi1-1y h indo n 'St'ribiition oi;- ink pmte n? ite-'nager The afin-*Iig wir. 29 is set; sere-Ws 331 ixpoir the l have.

BEST AVAILABLE CoiD` beyond the swinging traine 26 on the front. :si-de ot the framework inorder to attac-h the iegisteringmeelianisni thereto. lllhile the registering mechanism is operated through the moi-*ement of the shaft 16 of the main feed roll; no action of; the register takes place unless-a ballot.. has been presented to the feed rolls 14and'15.

Jfsrttaehedsecurely to the shaft 1G adjacent to the frame is a pinion 36 Capable ot rotlitingindependent-ly` as the shaft i@ turned. iVhenew-*er aliallot is beingI cast, the toed rolls? earny the: hallotforward to the index-sing'. rollt 24| whirlt is raised bythe passage of the ballot and inA so doing, the shaft 01. theindorsing roll with proper intermediate? Connections rais'es araok- 37 into engagement with the pinion` 36.A As theinein' sha-ft llwlith. the* pinion 36 Continues to" rotate, tlie'engagement othe rack therewith' carries .the raek forward' and with it! an extension rod. 38- which Connectsthe regist'en to thera-ek and, pinion, mechanisin.' The extension rod 38 ispivotedf at 40 to the` register and extends subetantially honizontalliy t'o-l the nach. held beneath the p'inioni; The-rack` 37 `is- Secured toftlhe loose end of' the' extension rod. 33 andy the. rack norm ally4 nestsI uponK thehub-Hi of a, pivoted lever- 42 senfted atl 43 to the'-tamework..

"llhe intermediate connect-ions madebetweenthe indoreingroll=24a1nli ihe rack and' pinion mechanism comprise' thel pivotedlevor 42 having:v its tree end*- eonneetedto an ad]ust 'able link 44 and: (this adjustable linkiibei'ng.

pinotedi at its: other end. tothe shaft of the indorsing'rollz 241v `Wli eheven the indorsing' roll;- 24 has been ilaised by the passage oft'Y :r ballot', the raul: and? pinion meehani'qinf heeoineengaged' and. itis very eesentiial that the rack. and' pinion more together im ai slightly loose engageinimt. Should the-rzulamlpinion. mosh in rigidi enfiagement, the ballot/s would heeome torn while-pas-zaingf. h5 the inalonsing roli; 'lio' insure a. proper link conncetion hetin'een. the: rained influx-singroll, :onli thi.` engaged rack andpi'nion..l proriidethe adjnst'ahle link 441A so Constructed! thatfhyjtinning the right ande le'fti handed 5cl'e-w45', thelfa'ck can'. be" raised or ioweiied .from the pinion- 3G. ll'iallt'it's. oli dfiflerent thi'clineses are' used a-t-dilfrent eltionz1 and l have made it possible to milj-net the ballot mechanism for thiol; or til-xin'lmllot and this adl jiistinieiit is held: by cheek-mit 16.

l'n' tlreoperation oit' the rzvck and. pinion mechanism. the ballot. throughthe indorsing roll' 24 xaeiies the pivoted lever 42 and while the` rack andl its extension rod -38 reste. normally upon the huh1 of the lever 42, the

` upm-ard moven'ient the lever" 42 causes a projetionpin 47 thereon to he raised. The pin5 47 on. the leveir542fe`xtendsi across? the plane and below the rack 37-and as the pm LII sprint ,a lpositive action of disengagement, a cam plate 68 is secured to the extension rod 3S in-a position 'lo engage a releasing pin 69 held upon-the ramewoi'k and cause the rack to fall upon the side of the pin as itpasses lover the pin 17 asyshmvn nrFig. 3.

lVhenevenihe extension rod 3S 'ope-:ating A themagister arm moves; forward to carry over a new figure on the register, a steel spring 18- uponthe hub of the register is 'being flexed.)A Thisspring t8v stands in a .flexed position as long as the ballot remains in 1ts passage, then as the ballot drops o'lthe rolls.

the spring straightens and throws the register arm into its normal position. There is considerable movement to this spring 48 vin .one action and at an election where thousands of ballots are cast, the strain upon this springv is ver-y great at the center. ,III

order. to insure a gerater endurance for this convolutions 49 extra large at the center. The 'convolutions are sutiiciently large to encircle the hub 50 of the register with so much clearance that when the spring is contracted, no part of` its curvature will make contact with the register hub 50. By this formation ofthe spring, I make it possible to distribute the strain 'throughout t-he entire center of the spring.

It is desirable to announce the fact of a ballot being finally cast by the stroke of a bell, so there is mounted upon the extension rod 38 of the register, a lug 51 which is so placed that it will engage the operating end 52 ot the bell hammer 53. As the ballot is being cast. the hammer assumes the position as shown in Fig. 3 and when the ballot drops oil completely indorscd, the hammer is enfuged by the lug 51 which gives the bell one stroke.

ln order that absolute accuracy may be obtained in the operation o'l my ballot. box, I desire to make it possible to cast only one ballot at a time. In case there is a line of voters before the ballot`box, the voters in their baste to cast their ballots have a tendency to lap their ballots or place them close together before the first ballot has received its complete indorsement, in this case the register would be in question for two ballots might be counted as one. With the present instrument, I have secured means for closing the ballot chute 18 automatically as the balit has been found best ,to form thel essT. AVAILABLE ooev a lotenters the machine and keeping the chute closed during the period ot indorsement. Then the indorsement is complete. the ballot` drops ot'f into the bottom of the box andthe ballot chute is opened automatically.4

In Figs. 1 and`2 theballot chute is shown open while in Iigsf and 4 the chute is shown closed, a sliding cover 55 is mounted upon the top of the :framework lOand is ca.- pable of being moved in waysti by" ballot operating levers hereinafter describedl EY tending downward on each side ot tbe cover 55 are lugs'57'with coil springs '58 attached thereto having their free ends secured to the sidesof the framework. Normally the coil .springs 58 hold the sliding c o'v'er 55 back so that .the ballotvr chute remains in open position.

lVhenever a chine, theraek and pinion mechanism be come engaged7 theregister extensionrotl 38 is carried forwardE and lmounted upon 'the extension rod 38 is anarm 59 which ico-,acts with a swinging frame 60 capable of closingr the ballot'Lchute 18. The swinging frame 60 4is pivoted at 61 with its main bearing 62 extending through .the machine` the `extension arms 63v extendupward'and :short-links v6ft .join the' swinging 'frame .60 to'tlie lugs 57 of the sliding cover5'5'., f

:'Iliejjregn'st'er'exftension rbd 38 while l'perormingits other 'tunttions is'c'apable .of operating thehsliding'l'cover through the arm 59 eng aging the swinging framef'anfd whenevera ballothas caused the ballotichute to' be closed. the springs 58-standexpanded until the ballot drops otf the indorsing 'roll *andV at that time the' actionof these springs required t'o openfthe sliding cover. There,4 is-therefore a positive action used in closing the ballot chute while in reopening the chute, the movement is controlled by springs.

Following the details of protection atlorded in the construction ot my improved ballot box, it will be seen that I have made it posi sible to take each ballot separately, indorse and register the instrument completely bcfore a second ballot can enter the ballot chute.

At the close of the polls, the ballot box is closed and the operating crank is removed by reverse movement as it. is screwed upon the shaft 16. At times it has been iound that the shaft. turns backward with the crank and to positively hold it from l'iackward movement, I provide an eccentric block (35 mounted on the side of the framework to co-act with a serrated surface 66 upon the periphery of the main feed roll 14. It is the serrated surface which etlects a complete blocking of the shaft and allows the crank to be positively removed.

In providing for a mechanism to work` with thin and thick ballots, I am aware that other forms of adjustment may be made` Without departing from the scope of my ballot is presented to themai-nxention. As. ai modified' torni of constructioxnfL have shown. theracl; and pinion meehansm in- Eig'. 6 so. constructed and'v connected that while itwilll take-care ot' thicl'e and' thin ballots, ,no adjilstxnent is requi'red.. Many timesit'isnnwise to hayefan adjmsting screw on. a machine for it is always. turned by the inexperienced man.. Inthis modied form I have shown a flexible spring 67 so tempered that it will: yield, sufficiently for tl'iicl: ballots and allow the tbini onesto go through with ease. rIhe yielding of the spring allows the achine to operate without tearing the bal- Having described. my inigention in full, I desire to claim by Letters Patent:

l. The. combination with a feed'v board forming a ballot chute. leading; to, a series of rolils, a rack and pinion mechanism mounted in connection with said rolls, and means` controlled by tbepassge Odi a ballot through the rolls f0.1.' operating the rack and causing' the ballot chute to. be closer-l..

2.. The combination of a ballot chiite leading to. a. series. of nol'ls, a rack pinion meehanjsniadapted' to. bef moved into engagement bythe. passage of a ballot and means, controlled byi the movement of the rank, for closingA tliegball'otelinte, l

3. The combination of a chute leading to, a series of rollsr a. Sliding cover-for thel ballot chute, a rocking'fra'me operating the sliding @over and`l mea-ns controlled by the. passage of a, ballot for-*operating the proper leyerage to rock the frame and, close the. ballot chute. l

4.. The, combination, of a ballotchute leading to a series of rolls, means. controlled by the passage of' a. ballot tlfi'rough the rolfls for operating :theregister arm and av pro-4 BEST AVAlLABLE COP\ jettion carried by the register arm adapted to-eng'age a slidinff coi'er :melf cause-the ballot. ehutefto be closet 5`. The. combination of' a ballot chute leading to a series o.f rolls, an indorsilng roll con-A trolling the movement of' a rack and pinion mechanism,4 aA sliding cover attaehedto ay swinging frame and' means controlled by the passage of ai ballot forcausi'ng'the rack to engage the swinging frame, more the slid-ing cover and' close the ballot chute.

6. A ball'oting machine having a ballot chute with a sliding cover, a swinging frame attached to the sliding cover, an ifndorsing lol'l controlling the movement of the. sliding cover and means whereby the sliding cover will be opened npon the passageo? a' ballot.

7. A balloting machine having a ballot chute with a sliding cover, a swinging frame attached to the sliding cover, an ind'orsing roll controlling the moi'ement of the sliding cover and means whereby the sliding cover willi be closedduring the passage of a ballot.

8. ball'oting machine' having tivo feed rolls adapted to. receive' and forwardZ the movementof ballots, one of said:4 r'olls` having its' central section slightly larger` in diameter than the outer sectifor'is whereby Aa bal-lot in its passage is ada'ted to: t-.iirninto a.

straight course shol'clits advancing end engage the side wall of the frame.

9. A balloting mechanis'rr com" rising receiving rolls with an indorsin'g rol rota-ting therewith, a rack and' pin-,ion mechanism adapted to be engaged upon the passage of a ballot and means Vcarried' by the rack for disengaging tlie rack and pinionY mechanism ata predetern'iined'` point.

RoY D, ATonini-N. 

